Tobacco-stick.



PATENTED JULY 21, 1908.

J. H. GROGA'N. TOBACCO STICK.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 13, 1907.

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JOHN H. GROGAN, OF REIDSVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA.

TOBACCO-STICK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 13, 1907.

Patented July 21, 1908.

Serial No. 392,750.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN H. GROGAN, citizen of the United States, residing at Reidsville, in the county of Rockingham and State of North Carolina, have invented.

certain new and useful Improvements in Tobacco-Sticks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to means for use in the preliminary treatment of tobacco after the same has been gathered.

As generally practiced the tobacco when gathered is suspended for a length of time from sticks, laths, or like strips, and retained in place either by being placed astraddle the sticks or by being secured thereto by strings. This necessitates, in the first instance, gathering of'the tobacco in stalks, so as to prevent separation of the leaves and is objectionable because of the extra work involved in the subsequent separation of the leaves from the stalks. The use'of string for tying the bunches to the sticks or suspending strips adds materially to the ex pense and requires more time in handling of the tobacco.

The present invention provides spring clips of novel form for attaching the loose leaves of tobacco in bunches to the sticks or suspending strips, said clips serving-the dual purpose of holding the leaves in bunches and securing the bunches to the sticks, and at the same time admitting of the bunches being independently and quickly removed from the sticks when it is required to sort the tobacco, or for other subsequent handling.

For a full understanding of the invention and the merits thereof and also to acquire a knowledge of the details of construction and the means for effecting the result, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings. I

While the invention may be adapted to different forms and conditions by changes in the structure and minor details without departing from the spirit or essential features thereof, still the preferred embodiment is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a stick or suspending strip provided with a spring clip embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 1, the dotted lines indicating the posi tion of the clamp member when the same is moved to a position to admit of a bunch of tobacco being placed in position therein. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 of a modification.

' Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated 'in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

The numeral 1 designates a stick or sus pending strip such as commonly used for suspending bunches of tobacco in tiers in I barns or other places during the preliminary curing. In accordance with this invention a series of spring clips are applied to the stick 1 and are spaced apart a distance to correspond with the intervals intervening between the bunches so as to provide for a circulation of air.

Each spring clip consists of a shank 2 and a clam member 3, the latter being provided at its ree end with a hook 4 which cooperates with the shank 2 and the stick 1 to grip the bunch 5 of tobacco, as indicated most clearly in Fig. 1. The clip is secured to the stick 1 by means of its shank, suitable fastenings 6, such as staples, being employed, the same being driven into the stick and embracing the shank. The clip is formed of sprin wire of suitable gage and is bent into the s ape substantially as illustrated. To increase the resiliency of the clamp member a spring coil 7 is provided at the juncture of the clamp member with its shank. The provision of the spring coil is not necessary, as indicated most clearly in Fig. 3. To prevent longitudinal displacement of the clip, as also to provide a space in which the hook 4 may operate, a portion of the shank 2 is deflected, as indicated at 8, off-sets 9 being provided at the ends of the deflected portion 8 to serve as stops for the fastenings 6 to engagewith. If the shank 2 were straight it would be necessary to notch the stick 1. in order to provide a space for the operation of the hook 1, and this would add somewhat to adaptation thereof, and which is obviated by deflecting a portion of the shank, as ind1- cated at 8. The clip is adapted to have a 100 the cost of the invention in the practical .fining embrace of the hooks 4.

to one side of the stick, as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 2, entrance to the hook is unobstructed, so that the bunches may be quickly placed in position by a sliding movement alongthe side of the stick until the bunch is arrested by coming in contact with the inner end of the hook, when the clamp member is released and the hook moves so as to grip the bunch as will be readily understood.

The present invention admits of the leaves being snapped from the stalks and a bunch being placed in position and held secure by the clip without necessitating tying or binding of the butts of the leaves in any manner. When gathering the bunches after the curing process, it is only necessary to pull the same downward when they will slip from the con In the practical operation of the device the stick 1 and the clip are both gripped by the hand, the

pressure being exerted laterally upon the inner end of the clamp member so as to press the hook 4 clear of the stick, as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 2, thereby leaving the right hand free to snap the leaves from the stalk and to gather them into a bunch which is placed in the hook, after which pressure upon the clamp member is released and the hook moved by the spring action of the clamp member so as to hold the leaves in a bunch and secure the bunch to the stick. This operation may be quickly and conveniently performed. It is also noted that the tobacco when cured may be quickly removed from the stick by a downward pull thereon.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. The combination of a stick, and a spring clip carried by the stick, the said spring clip comprising a shank and a clamp member having a hook to operate across the shank, the said shank being loosely connected to the stick to admit of the clip having a rocking movement.

2. The combination of a stick, and a spring clip comprising a shank secured to the stick and having a portion thereof deflected and a clamp member formed with a hook operating in the space between the stick and the deflected portion of the shank.

3. The combination of a stick, a spring clip comprising a shank having a portion thereof deflected and a cooperating clamp member formed with a hook to operate between the deflected portion of the shank and the stick, and fastening members securing the shank to the stick and cooperating with the deflected portion of the shank to hold the latter against longitudinal movement.

4. The combination of a stick, and. a spring clip carried by the stick and comprising a shank and a cooperating clamp member having a spring coil at their juncture, the shank being secured to the stick and formed with a deflected portion and the clamp member having a hook to operate in the space be tween the stick and the deflected portion of the shank.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature Witnesses:

V. B. HILLYARD, W. N. Woonson. 

